This Week The Plan

Arrgh... I've already tried to type this out and get it up once today. Damn Blogger.

Well last night I finally finished my part of the taxes. Thank God that is over... what a goddamn nightmare. Mr F still needs to finish up his business end but I'm done and I can relax.

Purging took a back seat to tax preparation this weekend but fear not we have not thrown in the towel. I have finished clipping all the recipes out of my massive back issue collection and the carcasses will be hitting the curb this Thursday!

On the health front Baby is much improved and has been sleeping much better. 6 years of sleep deprivation down... 2 more to go!

Kid is off of school all week, the weather is finally GORGEOUS, and we'll be heading out a lot the next few days. I'm even planning to load 'em up and take them out to the Toledo Zoo.... such a beautiful zoo well worth the hours drive.


Okay on to this week...

Menu:

Monday - whole grain penne w/ sauteed peppers & onions, peas & tomato sauce

Tuesday - Trader Joe's Chinese take-out style chicken, rice & broccoli

Wednesday - Chicken Noodle Soup & Apple Carrot Muffins

Thursday - Chicken Caesar Salad w/ Homemade Bread

Friday - take out

Saturday - take out

Sunday - Meatball Soup w/ crescent rolls



Diet & Exercise:
I'm back on board. I'm back to calorie counting, cookie dough eating, & increased exercising. I've got a doable but challenging goal in place and I'm moving forward. With the turn in the weather I'm really going to try and see how much activity I can fit into my days with the kids so I can enjoy the evenings a bit more. I'm still going to schedule 3 hardcore treadmill workouts and one full pilates just to be sure I keep the intensity up. I'm going to start making Mondays a pilates workout day and try to keep that consistent... I've still be having trouble trading off a cardio for a strength and I think putting it at the start of the week might help. I've also started doing sit ups and push ups and tri dips sprinkled through my day... why was I not doing that before?

Errands & Chores:
Well having Kid home does throw a wrench into my usual routine....

Monday - vacuum, clean downstairs bathroom

Tuesday - grocery shop, laundry

Wednesday - zoo

Thursday - vacuum, clean floors

Friday - vacuum upstairs

Sat & Sunday - sell my body on the corner in efforts to earn quick cash to pay taxes

I Got My Mojo Back

Where to begin...where to begin folks?
I just had one of the best workouts of my freaking life. This has been a real turbulent few weeks for me and I had kind of felt that I had lost my motivation. And it might just be the endorphins talking... but tonight I had a bit of an awakening. Guess what? I had let myself down. I had given up. I had stopped trying... had stopped working. As it turns out that doesn't leave you inspired and rearin' to go... it leaves you feeling... well.... lost and befuddled and three pounds heavier sitting on the couch whining about your aching shoulder.

It wasn't even a week ago that I posted about losing my fire... my drive and focus. I knew I was hitting a wall and that I needed to get back on track after taking several days off. No. Stop right there. I didn't "take" a couple days off... I gave in for a couple days and that, my friends, is the depressing truth. Had I actually scheduled a little break that would be one thing... what I did was schedule workouts and then fail to do them. And that is a pattern I am very familiar with. Feeling demotivated and depressed I decided to get this boat back in the water and did manage to pump out a workout on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But I'll be honest my heart wasn't in it and I kind of feared it might not ever be. I wasn't feeling the endorphins or proud of myself or anything I did it. And that's all I can say about it.... I did it.

Not trusting myself to take a break I also worked out on Monday and Tuesday. Now believe me when I tell you I didn't want to workout. I'm not putting on airs for dramatic effect. I seriously didn't want to do it... but I didn't want to let myself down... and oh yeah the little 3 pound weight gain I received this week did kind of spur me to just keep plotting along. Well tonight I was feeling the same...um... de-motivation.... I spent about 30 minutes procrastinating and thinking about filing paperwork instead (that should tell you how NOT into the workouts I've been!). Well after a bit of stewing I got my water bottle and changed and began watching the Biggest Loser from last night. And, people, I had a light bulb moment. It kind of went like this "See how hard they are working? You aren't working anywhere near that hard." And sure I've had this epiphany before... but it never ceases to inspire me. Here is a group of obese people who are running 14 miles an hour for crying out loud!! I need to do more... I need to push myself. So I did. I worked out harder than I have this whole year.

I stayed on that thing for 80 freaking minutes. And guess what? I got my fire back. Because what I realized is that I hadn't been challenging myself. And when you aren't being challenged you are going to get BORED both physically and mentally. You aren't going to see the same results you were seeing. When you lose weight your body adjusts, you get fitter and stronger, and need a HARDER workout. I hadn't even realized it but I had stopped having the endorphin rush a couple months ago... no wonder my workouts had seemed so lackluster and uninspiring. It never really occurred to me that I had just gotten used to my routines and was fit enough that I literally was no longer working out as hard as I had been. From now on when I get on that treadmill I am going to push myself... really push myself. I'm going to do what I think I can't do... and then I'm going to do it a little longer. Because the truth is I can. And you can to.